The Place Where You Can Hear the Actor's Breathing Closest! Seoul Independent Film Festival 2025 ‘8th Actor Project - 60-Second Monologue Festival’ Site

60 seconds. All that is given is one’s own body and the time of 60 seconds. Actors who have waited for moments that feel like eternity gathered in one place for this short time of 60 seconds.

Actors wait for a long time to secure a role, to be chosen by someone, and for that one chance to showcase their acting. In the meantime, the biggest event of the year for both active actors and aspiring actors has arrived. The profession of acting is a continuous wait, but to shorten that wait and to encourage it, the festival ‘Actor Project - 60-Second Monologue Festival’ was born, now in its 8th year, where the winners are determined by the monologue performances of the actors.

On the afternoon of the 1st, the finals of the ‘8th Actor Project - 60-Second Monologue Festival’ (hereinafter referred to as ‘Actor Project’) were held at CGV Cheongdam Cine City. This year’s Actor Project site welcomed 24 finalists, along with Kwon Hae-yo, Jo Yoon-hee, who oversee the project, and judges Director Byun Young-joo, actress Jang Hye-jin, actor Jo Jae-yoon, Director Lee Ran-hee, and various industry officials. Director and actor Jang Dong-yoon also attended to observe the event.

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Although the Actor Project takes the form of a competition, actor Kwon Hae-yo emphasized that the event is “a fun party.” Kwon Hae-yo, who first planned the event eight years ago, said, “This year, I am hosting the opening ceremony of the 25th Seoul Independent Film Festival, meeting many directors and actors. However, I have always been hearing the same thing. Directors say, ‘I can’t find new actors,’ and actors are concerned about ‘how to start working.’ So during the Seoul Independent Film Festival, I wanted to connect them and reveal that good actors are breathing somewhere.”

This year’s project, now in its 8th edition, attracted a record 7,757 applicants, achieving a competition rate of 323.2 to 1. The 24 actors who made it through this narrow gate performed for 60 seconds with nothing but their voices and gestures, without any dazzling lights, sets, or co-stars.

The raw energy of the actors overwhelmed the empty stage with dense performances. The 24 actors, having surpassed over 7,000 others, captivated the audience in just one minute, making them laugh and cry. From actress Jeong Seon-a, who brought laughter to the audience with a performance advising a friend about marriage, to actress Lim Soo-yeon, who portrayed madness by getting angry at a boss who wouldn’t acknowledge her, to actor Baek Jin-hoo, who shared his experience as a supporting actor in a monologue, and actress Lim Hyun-jung, who played an unknown comedian delighted to be recognized, the actors showcased a variety of free performances across different genres, radiating their unique charms.

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The prestigious ‘GRAND PRIZE’ of the day went to actress Kwon Da-rim, who performed as a judo athlete reporting her own sexual assault. Kwon Da-rim had previously delivered a compelling performance as a musical actress who received bad news while preparing for a performance in her preliminary video, and on this day, she also delivered her monologue in a cheerful yet convincing manner. Kwon Da-rim has appeared in numerous plays and musicals.

The ‘JURY PRIZE,’ which corresponds to the second place, was awarded to actors Kang Min-ji, Lee Il-jin, and Noh Seon-woo. Actor Kwon Hae-yo revealed that he wants to hear the excited voices of the 24 finalists, so he informs them of their acceptance over the phone, sharing an episode where actress Kang Min-ji received his acceptance call while on her honeymoon in Santiago, Spain, and was overjoyed.

Meanwhile, the ‘Director’s Choice,’ determined by the directors of the Seoul Independent Film Festival who watched the preliminary videos of the 24 finalists and voted, selected actors Jeong Jo-jun and Lee Il-jin. Born in 1978, actor Lee Il-jin is the oldest among this year’s finalists and has the honor of being a dual winner of both the ‘JURY PRIZE’ and ‘Director’s Choice.’

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Director Byun Young-joo, who participated in the judging, humorously remarked, “This year was the best. That’s why the judging took a long time. We almost fought. It was almost a physical confrontation.” Actress Jang Hye-jin expressed, “If it were me, I couldn’t have acted like this; I reflected while watching your performances. It’s not about who did well or poorly, but just think of it as us (the judges) fighting over who won.” She also became emotional, saying, “It’s been over 30 years since I did a monologue. If I think back to 30 years ago, monologues were really hard. I understand your feelings. Nevertheless, 30 years later, I am still acting. I plan to continue from now in my 50s. Enjoy today and keep persevering.”

​The Actor Project, which started in 2018 at the suggestion of actors Kwon Hae-yo and Jo Yoon-hee, has produced currently active actors such as Hong Kyung, Noh Jae-won, Oh Kyung-hwa, and Yoon Ga-i. It’s not just the award-winning actors who receive attention. The preliminary videos and final stage videos submitted by the actors become a channel for discovering new talents for many industry officials. In fact, Director Byun Young-joo shared, “Having participated in the Actor Project judging six times, I have cast five actors in my works. However, none of those five were award winners,” encouraging participants who did not win. Meanwhile, the six actors who won awards in the finals will receive their trophies at the closing ceremony of the Seoul Independent Film Festival on December 5th.

​The 51st Seoul Independent Film Festival opened on November 27th (Thursday) with this year’s slogan, ‘We Need You for the Film,’ and will close on December 5th (Friday).